Cherry Lemon Loaf
Sweet and moist, gluten-free cherry lemon loaf is a delightful dessert or coffee cake.
This loaf is a lovely treat that incorporates a tart, moist lemon flavoured cake with hits of sweet cherries. Perfect for entertaining guests along with coffee or tea. Also, makes a great dessert with the addition of a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of coconut whipped cream.
The version of this recipe as written is gluten free; however, if this is not a dietary concern the cassava flour and tapioca flour can be converted to all-purpose flour instead. Similarly, the monk fruit sweetener can be replaced with granulated sugar at the cost of higher calories per serving. This recipe is also suitable for ovo-lacto vegetarians and is dairy-free.
Ingredients
(Makes 8 servings)
1, 1/2 cups cassava flour (or 2 cups all-purpose flour and omit tapioca flour)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup monk fruit sweetener (or granulate sugar)
1 egg, beaten
juice of 1 large lemon
3/4 cup water, lukewarm
2 tablespoons plant-based butter, melted
2 cups frozen sweet cherries, halved and thawed
1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
1/4 cup baking monk fruit sweetener (or powdered sugar) (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C and prepare a loaf pan by greasing it and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, sift in the cassava and tapioca flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener.
In a medium mixing bowl beat the egg, then add the lemon juice, water, and butter. Mix well the add to dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes then stir again. The baking soda will have started reacting to the lemon juice to add more air to the batter.
Add cherries and lemon zest and mix well. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. The loaf will shrink a little as it cools.
Sprinkle with powdered sweetener or sugar (optional). Slice and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 175 | total fat = 2.14g | saturated fat = 0.69g | cholesterol = 24.38mg | sodium = 328.25mg | net carbohydrates = 59.25g | dietary fibre = 3.35g | sugars = 5.06g | protein = 1.82g
